Molded heel and toe piece for a wakeboard binding and method of making

ABSTRACT

A toe and heel piece for a wakeboard binding are formed as free standing three dimensional shapes prior to binding assembly. The toe piece has a center body portion that extends from a front edge to a rear edge, the body center body portion including a curvature that approximates the curvature between the top part of the user&#39;s foot and a shin part of the user&#39;s leg. The toe piece also has a pair of opposing flaps, each flap curving downward from the center body portion. The flaps can terminate in a flange, and the toe piece can include means for binding it to hardware of the wakeboard. The heel piece tapers in width from a bottom portion to a top portion, and is molded to follow the contour of the user&#39;s of calf, ankle, and/or heel.

This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) based onprovisional patent application No. 60/587,049, filed on Jul. 13, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved wakeboard binding, andin particular to a binding that utilizes molded toe and heel pieces toprovide more comfort to a user, and ease of entry of a user's foot intothe binding.

BACKGROUND ART

In the art of making wakeboard bindings, the heel and toe pieces aremolded in flat pieces, which are then curved during binding manufacture.U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,561 to Fletcher, herein incorporated by reference inits entirety, is one example of a wakeboard binding wherein heel and toepieces are used as part of the binding. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate theflat toe piece design of the prior art. In FIG. 1, a toe piece isdesignated by the reference numeral 60, and is T-shaped. Referring toFIG. 2, segment 61 is designed to conform to a user's shin 67, withsegment 63 wrapping around a user's arch 69. Segment 63 also has aplurality of openings which allows the toe piece to be secured as partof the wakeboard binding.

A prior art heel piece is shown in FIG. 3 and designated by thereference numeral 70, with segment 71 designed to wrap around the backof a user's calf with segment 73 intended to wrap around the user'sheel. Openings 75 along a lower portion of the heel piece 70 facilitateattachment to a binding component.

Referring back to the Fletcher patent and FIGS. 2 and 3 thereof, the toepiece 16 has flaps 28 which are designed to wrap around the sides of theuser's foot. The vertical portion 32 bends up against the user's leg.The heel portion 18 has flaps 44 which are designed to bend around theuser's foot to form a heel pocket.

The prior art wakeboard bindings utilize these two-dimensional ethylenevinyl acetate (eva) or rubber heel and toe pieces by bending them intothe assembled position to form a “boot” which is used to secure thefoot. These pieces are then usually surrounded by an “overlay” toprovide more support and a tighter fit to the foot. However, since theseheel and toe pieces are two-dimensional shapes that are bent into shapeby the assembly to the binding base or plate, they do not effectivelyfit the natural contours of the foot. In regards to the toe piece, thisresults in uncomfortable pressure points around the top of the foot andthe ankle, primarily over the transition from the top of the foot up andinto the lower shin. Also, regarding the heel piece, since it does notadequately conform to the contours of the heel, ankle, and calf area,this design does not allow sufficient heel hold-down while riding. FIG.2 illustrates how the prior art toe piece does not readily conform to auser's foot. That is, because the toe piece is made of a sheet material,a crease is formed where the foot merges into the shin, thus creating azone of discomfort to the user. Likewise, the sheet heel piece makes noaccommodation for the contour of the heel, calf and/or ankle, thusproviding a less-than-tight fit in this area of the foot, andcompromising the holding power of the binding during wakeboard use.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,375 to Vukelic, also incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference, discloses a wakeboard binding typical of theprior art types. Vukelic describes the heel and toe piece as being madefrom sheet material, e.g., an elastomeric metallocene rubber bonded to afoam sheet. Vukelic suffers from the same drawbacks as the Fletcherdesign, i.e., the formation of creases or ridges when the toe and heelpieces are assembled into the binding; thereby resulting in pressurepoints on portions of a user's foot.

In light of the deficiencies in heel and toe pieces of prior artwakeboard bindings, a need has developed to provide improved bindingsthat offer better comfort and ease of use. The present invention solvesthis need by providing heel and toe pieces, each being molded into athree dimensional shape that follows the contour of a foot, therebyeasing entry into the binding, facilitating removal, and offering bettercomfort during use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved wakeboardbinding.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved heel and toepieces that are used in wakeboard bindings.

One other object is an improvement in the method of making wakeboardbindings, particularly, the manner in which the heel and toe pieces areattached to binding hardware.

Other objects and advantages will be come apparent as a description ofthe invention proceeds.

In satisfaction of the foregoing objects and advantages, the presentinvention is an improvement in the field of wakeboard bindings.Typically, these bindings use separate and flat toe and heel pieces,each of which being manipulated and creased or folded when assembledinto the binding. The invention eliminates this folding step and theresultant problems in fit and comfort caused thereby by providing a toepiece that is molded in a permanent three dimensional shape to generallyfollow the contours of the top part of a user's foot, and the curvaturebetween the top part of the user's foot and a shin part of the user'sleg. The heel piece is also molded in a permanent three dimensionalshape to generally follow the contours of a user's heel, ankle, and/orcalf.

The heel piece can be made of a polymeric material and be tapered inwidth from a bottom portion to a top portion. The toe piece can also bemade of a polymeric material and include a center body portion thatextends from a front edge to a rear edge of the toe piece, the centerbody portion including a curvature that approximates the curvaturebetween the top part of the user's foot and a shin part of the user'sleg. The toe piece can also include a pair of opposing flaps, each flapcurving downward from the center body portion and terminating, ifdesired, in a flange.

Means for attaching the heel piece and the toe piece to hardware of thewakeboard binding are provided, and these means preferably include theflanges, if present, and/or openings in the heel and toe pieces tofacilitate attachment.

The present invention is also an improvement in the method of makingwakeboard bindings. Contrary to the prior art technique which creased orfolded the toe and heel pieces to form the binding, the invention methodeliminates this step in its entirety. That is, each of the heel and toepieces are formed as part of their manufacture with a free standingthree dimensional shape that follows the contour of the portion of theuser's foot or leg in contact with the thus-formed piece. The formedheel and toe pieces can then be assembled into the wakeboard bindingusing known techniques and means for this assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a prior art flat toe piece prior to assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toe piece of FIG. 1 in relation to alower leg of a user

FIG. 3 is a view of a prior art flat heel piece prior to assembly;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the heel and toepieces of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the toe piece of FIG. 4 covering a foot of auser;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the toe piece in use on a user's foot;

FIG. 7 shows a front view of the toe piece of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 shows a rear or inside view of the toe piece of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the heel piece of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 10 shows a rear view of the heel piece of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention offers significant advantages over the prior arttoe and heel pieces used in wakeboard bindings. Unlike the essentiallyflat construction of the prior art pieces, the heel and toe pieces ofthe invention are molded to follow the contour of the user's foot priorto assembly of the wakeboard binding. In this way, the creases or ridgesthat are formed when assembling the flat heel and toe piece into thewakeboard binding are eliminated, and the user has a much morecomfortable binding for wakeboarding.

According to the invention, the prior art two-dimensional heel and toepieces shown in FIGS. 1-3, are molded or otherwise shaped into athree-dimensional shape before assembly to the binding. FIG. 4 shows oneembodiment of the invention, wherein the heel piece is designated by thereference numeral 1 and toe piece is designated by the reference numeral3, both molded in a three dimensional molded. This molding or shapingcan be done such that the heel and toe pieces closely match the contoursof the foot and lower leg. As a result, uncomfortable pressure pointsare eliminated. Moreover, the fit of the binding is improved, and as aresult of these features, the user experiences more overall comfort andsupport of the binding. In addition, this innovation provides for easierentry of the foot into the binding, since the three-dimensional shape ofthe toe piece allows for a more natural bending motion of the ankleduring entry into the binding.

Still referring to FIG. 4, the toe piece 3 includes an upper footsegment 5 that extends from a front edge 7 and is molded to follow thecontours of the upper part of a user's foot. The toe piece 3 includes ashin segment 11 that curves upwardly from the upper foot segment 5 tocontact the user's shin or leg, and terminates in edge 9. The twosegments 5 and 11 join at a natural curve, which eliminates the pressurepoint created by the use of a sheet material that is creased when thebinding is mounted or assembled on a wakeboard. The upper foot segment 5is molded with a pair of flaps 13, each flap terminating in a flange 15.The flaps 13 are contoured to follow the side of the foot, with eachflange 15 angled with respect to a side surface 17 of the flap 13. Theflanges 15 facilitate attachment of the toe piece 3 to the bindinghardware (not shown). The flanges 15 also include openings 19 tofacilitate attachment to a binding component.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the toe piece more closely conforming to the curvesof the foot and lower leg, especially in the area where the top of thefoot transitions into the lower shin, the curve of the toe piece shownas reference numeral 32.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the front and rear views of the toe piece 3,respectively, with FIG. 7 more clearly showing how the upper footsegment 5 and flaps 13 contour to follow the top and sides of a user'sfoot. FIG. 8 shows more detail concerning the toe piece, andspecifically its inner surface 34. This figure also illustrates thecontour of the toe piece, including the curve 32 where the upper footsegment 5 transitions to the shin segment 11.

The molded heel piece 1 is best seen in FIGS. 4, 9 and 10, wherein theheel piece 1 has a rear surface 21 which is convex as it extends from alower portion 23 to an upper portion 25. The toe piece 1 also hasopenings 27 at the lower portion 23 for binding attachment purposes. Thelower portion 23 is wider than the upper portion, so that the heel pieceis tapered, the lower portion width accommodating the need to providelateral support around the side of the heel of the foot. Because of itscurved configuration, the heel piece also has a concave inner surface,an upper portion 26 adapted to contact a user's calf, with a lowerportion 28 adapted to surround the user's heel and ankle, see FIG. 9.

These three-dimensional heel and toe piece shapes can be manufactured ina variety of ways, including any ways that are known in the art ofmolding polymeric materials in three dimensional shapes. The methodemployed to make the illustrated toe piece 1 and heel piece 3 involvesfirst forming the pieces into two dimensional shapes by cutting a sheetof polymeric material into the desired dimensions. The cut sheet shapesare heated, and then placed under pressure in a cooled three-dimensionalmold such that the three-dimensional shape is then permanently impartedonto the heel and toe pieces.

The shaping step, depending on the material, can be achieved by othermethods. For example, rubber pieces can be compression molded (this isthe most common manufacturing process for molded rubber parts), with thecompression mold designed with the three-dimensional shape such that therubber part has this shape when it is removed from the mold.Alternatively, the pieces can be injection molded directly into thethree-dimensional shape. Such a process can be used with eva (ethylenevinyl acetate) foam materials, polyethylene foam materials, or any otherinjection moldable foam or suitable plastic materials (such as phylonfoam, or medium-durometer PU, PVC, or TPU plastic materials).

The actual material used for the toe and heel pieces can be anypolymeric material, either as a single material, a laminate made up ofdifferent materials, a composite material, or the like. The materialchosen should be capable of being formed into the desired threedimensional shape, as well as meet the other requirements known in theart for wakeboard binding components, flexibility, resistance todegradation due to the elements, etc.

While the heel and toe pieces are not illustrated as part of a wakeboardbinding, the non-illustrated binding components are well known as shownin the aforementioned patents, and a detailed description of the bindinghardware or other components is not deemed necessary for understandingof the invention.

It should also be understood that the flange on the toe piece is but oneway to facilitate attachment of the toe piece to the binding. As anotheroption, the toe piece could be formed without the flange such that thelower portion of the toe piece sides 17 would have openings tofacilitate attachment to a binding component such as a binding plate. Ofcourse, other means as would be within the skill of the art can beemployed to attach the toe piece and heel piece to the binding hardware.

As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferredembodiments thereof which fulfills each and every one of the objects ofthe present invention as set forth above and provides a new and improvedheel and toe piece for wakeboard bindings.

Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations from theteachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilledin the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof.It is intended that the present invention only be limited by the termsof the appended claims.

1. In a wakeboard binding including a separate heel piece and toe piece,the improvement comprising: a toe piece molded in a permanent threedimensional shape to generally follow the contours of the top part of auser's foot, and the curvature between a top part of the user's foot anda shin part of the user's leg; and a heel piece molded in a permanentthree dimensional shape to generally follow the contours of a user'sheel.
 2. A heel and toe piece combination for a wakeboard comprising: aheel piece made of a polymeric material and having a free standing threedimensional shape, the heel piece tapering in width from a bottomportion to a top portion, the heel piece molded to generally follow thecontour of the heel of a foot; and a toe piece made of a polymericmaterial and having a free standing three dimensional shape, the toepiece including: a center body portion that extends from a front edge toa rear edge of the toe piece, the center body portion including acurvature that approximates the curvature between the top part of theuser's foot and a shin part of the user's leg, and a pair of opposingflaps, each flap curving downward from the center body portion andterminating in a flange; and means to attach the heel piece and the toepiece to hardware of the wakeboard binding.
 3. The binding of claim 1,further including means to attach the heel piece and the toe piece tobinding hardware of the wakeboard.
 4. The combination of claim 2,wherein the attaching means further comprises a plurality of openings inthe flanges of the toe piece and the bottom portion of the heel piece.5. The binding of claim 3, wherein the attaching means further comprisesa plurality of openings in flanges located at opposing sides of the toepiece and a plurality of openings in a bottom portion of the heel piece.6. A toe piece for a wakeboard comprising a free standing threedimensional shape made of a polymeric material, the toe piece including:a center body portion that extends from a front edge to a rear edge, thebody center body portion including a curvature that approximates thecurvature between the top part of the user's foot and a shin part of theuser's leg, and a pair of opposing flaps, each flap curving downwardfrom the center body portion and terminating in a flange; and means toattach the toe piece to binding hardware of the wakeboard.
 7. A heelpiece for a wakeboard comprising a free standing three dimensional shapemade of a polymeric material, the heel piece tapering in width from abottom portion to a top portion, the heel piece molded to follow thecontour of the heel of a foot; and means to attach the heel piece tobinding hardware of the wakeboard.
 8. In a method of making a wakeboardbinding wherein a two dimensional heel piece and a two dimensional toepiece are attached to binding hardware of the wakeboard, said attachingstep imparting a shape to the toe and heel pieces, the improvementcomprising, first forming the heel piece into a three dimensional shapeand the toe piece into a three dimensional shape, and then attaching thethree dimensional-shaped toe and heel pieces to binding hardware of thewakeboard, wherein the three dimensional shape of the toe piece includesa curvature generally matching the curvature between the top part of theuser's foot and a shin part of the user's leg, and the three dimensionalshape of the heel piece is contoured to generally match the contour of aheel, calf, and ankle of a foot of a user.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein the toe piece is made of a polymeric material and furthercomprises: a center body portion that extends from a front edge to arear edge, the body center body portion including said curvature; and apair of opposing flaps, each flap curving downward from the center bodyportion and terminating in a flange; and means to attach the toe pieceto binding hardware of the wakeboard.
 10. The method of claim 8, whereinthe heel piece further comprises a free standing three dimensional shapemade of a polymeric material, the heel piece tapering in width from abottom portion to a top portion, the heel piece molded to follow thecontour of the heel of a foot; and means to attach the heel piece tobinding hardware of the wakeboard.
 11. The method of claim 9, whereinthe heel piece further comprises a free standing three dimensional shapemade of a polymeric material, the heel piece tapering in width from abottom portion to a top portion, the heel piece molded to follow thecontour of the heel of a foot; and means to attach the heel piece tobinding hardware of the wakeboard.